Former Employees of Tyco Electronics, Fiber Optics Div. v. US Dept. of Labor

**What Happened** Former employees of Tyco Electronics' Fiber Optics Division lost their jobs and applied for special federal benefits under a program called NAFTA-TAA (North American Free Trade Agreement Trade Adjustment Assistance). This program helps workers who lose jobs due to trade with Mexico or Canada. The U.S. Department of Labor initially denied their application for these benefits. **What the Court Decided** The court ruled in favor of the former Tyco employees. The judge found that the workers were indeed entitled to NAFTA-TAA certification, meaning they qualified for the special assistance program. Additionally, because the Department of Labor's denial was unreasonable, the court ordered the government to pay the workers' attorneys' fees and legal expenses under the Equal Access to Justice Act. **Why This Matters for Workers** This case shows that workers can successfully challenge government decisions when agencies wrongly deny benefits. When companies move jobs to Mexico or Canada, affected employees may be entitled to extended unemployment benefits, job training, and other assistance through NAFTA-TAA. If the government unfairly denies these benefits, workers can fight back in court and may even recover their legal costs if they win.